Monday, October 20, 2014

Diwali also known as Divali, Deepavali and the "festival of lights", is
an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn every year. The festival
spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over
ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair.

The festival
preparations and rituals typically extend over a five day period, but
the main festival night of Diwali coincides with the darkest, new moon
night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartik. In the Gregorian calendar,
Diwali night falls between mid-October and mid-November.

Diwali, Deepavali is a festival celebrated by all Indian irrelevant of their cast,
creed and religion with equal enthusiasm and gaiety. While the rest of
the Indians are imbued into the festive mood for the advent the Hindu
New Year, the agrarian society of India is jubilating for a different
reason.

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Diwali or Deepavali, popularly known as the "festival of lights", is celebrated between mid-October and mid-November for different reasons. For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. For Jains, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC.

Before Diwali night, people clean, renovate and decorate their homes. On
Diwali night, Hindus dress up in new clothes or their best outfit,
light up diyas (lamps and candles) inside and outside their home,
participate in family puja typically to Lakshmi - the goddess of wealth
and prosperity.

After puja (prayers), fireworks follow, then a family feast including mithai (sweets), and an exchange of gifts between family members and close friends. Diwali also marks a major shopping period in nations where it is celebrated.

On the same night that Hindus celebrate Diwali, Jains celebrate a festival of lights to mark the attainment of moksha by Mahavira, and Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas. Diwali is an official holiday in India,Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji.

Diwali is also the end of the cropping season. This is
the time of the year when farmers would be getting the results of their
sweat and blood. The hard work they do all through the year is supposed
to pay results in terms of a healthy crop. Harvesting period generally
bear a lot of prosperity for agrarian society. Thus, the farmers pray to
Goddess Lakshmi (the Goddess of wealth) for the best results.

The name "Diwali" is a contraction of "Deepavali", दीपावली, Dīpāvalī, which translates into "row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas or dīpas) in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends.

Diwali is a five day festival in many regions of India, with Diwali night centering on the new moon - the darkest night - at the end of the Hindu lunar month of Ashvin and the start of the month of Kartika. In the Common Era calendar, Diwali typically falls towards the end of October, or first half of November each year. The darkest night of autumn lit with diyas, candles and lanterns, makes the festival of lights particularly memorable.

Diwali is also a festival of sounds and sights with fireworks and rangoli designs; the festival is a major celebration of flavors with feasts and numerous mithai (sweets, desserts),as well as a festival of emotions where Diwali ritually brings family and friends together every year. Like major festivals of the world, rituals and preparations for the Indian festival Diwali begin days or weeks in advance. The festival formally begins two days before the night of Diwali, and ends two days after. Each day has the following rituals and significance:

അഞ്ചു ദിവസം നീണ്ടു നിൽക്കുന്ന ആഘോഷങ്ങളുണ് ദീപാവലിക്ക്.

Dhanteras kicks off the five day festival. Starting days before and
through Dhanteras, houses and business premises are cleaned, renovated
and decorated. Women and children decorate entrances with Rangoli -
creative colourful floor designs both inside and in the walkways of
their homes or offices. Boys and men get busy with external lighting
arrangements and completing all renovation work in progress. For some,
the day celebrates the churning of cosmic ocean of milk between the
forces of good and forces of evil; this day marks the birthday of
Lakshmi - the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, and the birthday of
Dhanvantari - the Goddess of Health and Healing. On the night of
Dhanteras, diyas (lamps) are ritually kept burning all through the
nights in honor of Lakshmi and Dhanvantari.

Dhanteras is also a major shopping day, particularly for gold or silver
articles. Merchants, traders and retailers stock up, put articles on
sale, and prepare for this day. Lakshmi Puja (sometimes spelled Laxmi
puja) is performed in the evening. Some people decorate their shops,
work place or items symbolizing their source of sustenance and
prosperity.

Narak Chaturdasi is the second day of festivities, and is also called Choti Diwali. Typically, house decoration and colourful floor patterns called rangoli
are made on or before Narak Chaturdasi. Special bathing rituals such a
fragrant oil bath are held in some regions, followed by minor pujas.
Women decorate their hands with henna designs. Families are also busy
preparing homemade sweets for main Diwali.

The third day is the main festive day. People wear new clothes or their best outfits as the evening approaches. Then diyas
are lit, pujas are offered to Lakshmi, and to one or more additional
deities depending on the region of India; typically Ganesha, Saraswati,
and Kubera. Lakshmi symbolises wealth and prosperity, and her blessings are invoked for a good year ahead.

The day after Diwali, is celebrated as Padwa. This day ritually
celebrates the love and mutual devotion between the wife and husband.
The husbands give thoughtful gifts, or elaborate ones to respective
spouses. In many regions, newly married daughters with their husbands
are invited for special meals. Sometimes brothers go and pick up their
sisters from their in-laws home for this important day. The day is also a
special day for the married couple, in a manner similar to
anniversaries elsewhere in the world. The day after Diwali devotees
perform Goverdhan puja in honor of Lord Krishna.

The last day of festival is called Bhai dooj (Brother’s second). It
celebrates the sister-brother loving relationship, in a spirit similar
to Raksha Bandhan
but with different rituals. The day ritually emphasizes the love and
lifelong bond between siblings. It is a day when women and girls get
together, perform a puja with prayers for the well being of their
brothers, then return to a ritual of food-sharing, gift-giving and
conversations. In historic times, this was a day in autumn when brothers
would travel to meet their sisters, or bring over their sister’s family
to their village homes to celebrate their sister-brother bond with the
bounty of seasonal harvests.

Diwali Lakshmi Puja

Deepavali marks the end of the harvest season in most of India. Farmers give thanks for the bounty of the year gone by, and pray for a good harvest for the year to come. Traditionally this marked the closing of accounts for businesses dependent on the agrarian cycle, and is the last major celebration before winter. Lakshmi symbolizes wealth and prosperity, and her blessings are invoked for a good year ahead. ...

There are two legends that associate the worship of Lakshmi on this day. According to the first legend, on this day, Lakshmi emerged from Kshira Sagar, the Ocean of Milk, during the great churning of the oceans, Samudra manthan.

The second legend (more popular in western India) relates to the Vamana avatar of the big three Vishnu, the incarnation he assumed to kill the demon king Bali. On this day, Vishnu came back to his abode the Vaikuntha; so those who worship Lakshmi receive the benefit of her benevolent mood, and are blessed with mental, physical and material well-being.

As per spiritual references, on this day "Lakshmi-panchayatan" enters the Universe. Vishnu, Indra, Kubera, Gajendra and Lakshmi are elements of this "panchayatan" (a group of five). The tasks of these elements are:

Diwali is one of the happiest of holidays in India, with significant preparations. People clean their homes and decorate them for the festivities. Diwali is one of the biggest shopping seasons in India; people buy new clothes for themselves and their families, gifts, appliances, kitchen utensils, small to big ticket items such as cars and gold jewelry.

People also buy gifts for family members and friends which typically includes sweets, dry fruits and seasonal specialities depending on regional harvest and customs. It is also the period when little kids hear ancient stories, legends, myths and battle between good and evil, light and darkness from their parents and elders. Girls and women go shopping, and create rangoli and other creative patterns on floors, near doors and walkways. Youth and grown ups graduate to helping with lighting and preparing for patakhe (fireworks).

There is significant variation in regional practices and rituals. Depending on the region, prayers are offered before one or more deities, with most common being Lakshmi - the goddess of wealth and prosperity. On Diwali night, fireworks light up the neighborhood skies. Later, family members and invited friends celebrate the night over food and sweets.

DIWALI SMS Mesage Quotes

MAKE YOUR LIFE JOYFUL
NEVER LOSE HOPE
ALWAYS BE HAPPY WITH YOUR FAMILY
MAKE YOUR ENEMY ALSO A GOOD FRIEND
GET A BLESS FROM GOD AND ELDER
******* HAPPY + DIPAWALI *******
FOR ALL THE HINDU FAMILIES

With Gleam of Diyas,
And the Echo of the Chants,
May Happiness and Contentment Fill Your life !
Wishing you a very happy and prosperous Diwali !!